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The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's STC earns ISO certification
(Nanowerk News) The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's (CNSE) Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) in Canandaigua, a world-class resource for the development and manufacturing of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology-enabled innovations, announced Monday that it has earned a critical designation that will open up significant new opportunities to create high-tech jobs and attract additional partners in the industrial and government sectors.
With successful completion of the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) 9001:2008 registration, CNSE's STC is well-positioned to pursue expanded programs with a host of commercial customers, both domestic and global, as well as with federal entities, including the Department of Defense and various intelligence agencies that require ISO certification to participate in certain projects.
Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, CNSE Senior Vice President and CEO, said, "As further testimony to Governor Andrew Cuomo's pronouncement that New York State is open for business, this designation gives new momentum to the continued growth of CNSE's STC and its ability to attract high-tech jobs to Western New York. Armed with ISO registration, we look forward to pursuing exciting opportunities to enable new partnerships in both the public and private sectors."
CNSE's STC expects to hire additional employees as a result of its ISO registration, which incorporates rigorous criteria that includes a collection of formal international standards, technical specifications and reports, as well as handbooks and web-based documents on quality management. New hires will range from engineering and technical personnel to cleanroom operators, who will be needed to support both existing projects and new programs that transition from prototyping and pilot production to low- and mid-volume manufacturing.
Paul Tolley, CNSE Vice President for Disruptive Technologies and Executive Director of CNSE's STC, said, "The receipt of ISO registration is a major achievement for CNSE's STC that validates our dedication and commitment to the highest standards of quality and process improvements for next-generation MEMS manufacturing. This designation further positions CNSE's STC to pursue new opportunities to grow our commercial lines of business and expand our reach into the federal defense and intelligence industries."
In successfully achieving ISO registration, CNSE's STC worked with EEP Quality Group of Rochester to review and edit existing documentation, and to develop a number of new standard operating procedures in order to comply with ISO requirements.
In addition, a number of enhanced security features are being put into place that will allow CNSE's STC to heighten its site security clearance, further strengthening the effort to seek expanded programs and partnerships with both commercial and government customers.
About CNSE
The UAlbany CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to education, research, development and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience and nanoeconomics. With more than $14 billion in high-tech investments, CNSE represents the world's most advanced university-driven research enterprise, offering students a one-of-a-kind academic experience and providing over 300 corporate partners with access to an unmatched ecosystem for leading-edge R&D and commercialization of nanoelectronics and nanotechnology innovations. CNSE's footprint spans upstate New York, including its Albany NanoTech Complex, an 800,000-square-foot megaplex with the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 85,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,700 scientists, researchers, engineers, students and faculty work here, from companies including IBM, Intel, GlobalFoundries, SEMATECH, Samsung, TSMC, Toshiba, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML and Novellus Systems. An expansion now underway, part of which will house the world's first Global 450mm Consortium, will add nearly 500,000 square feet of next-generation infrastructure, an additional 50,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms, and more than 1,000 scientists, researchers and engineers from CNSE and global corporations. In addition, CNSE's Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon provides a prototyping and demonstration line for next-generation CIGS thin-film solar cells. CNSE's Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) in Rochester offers state-of-the-art capabilities for MEMS fabrication and packaging. CNSE also co-founded and manages operations at the Computer Chip Commercialization Center at SUNYIT in Utica and is a co-founder of the Nanotechnology Innovation and Commercialization Excelerator in Syracuse.
About CNSE's STC
The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center of Excellence assists small and large companies in transitioning new technologies from concept to manufacturing. STC maintains a 140,000-square-foot facility with over 25,000 square feet of cleanrooms for micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication and packaging, and works with large and medium-sized companies to help them bring new technologies to market; with small companies ready to transition from prototype and low-volume manufacturing to scalable manufacturing; and with various federal agencies to develop technology solutions to areas of critical national need, including smart prosthetics and improvised explosive device (IED) detection. For more information, visit www.stcmems.com.
Source: CNSE